Assessment And Visualisation Of Uncertainty In Remote Sensing Land Cover Classifications

Assessment and Visualisation of Uncertainty in Remote Sensing Land Cover Classifications

Uncertainty in Remote Sensing and GIS

Remote sensing and geographical information science (GIS) have advanced considerably in recent years. However, the potential of remote sensing and GIS within the environmental sciences is limited by uncertainty, especially in connection with the data sets and methods used. In many studies, the issue of uncertainty has been incompletely addressed. The situation has arisen in part from a lack of appreciation of uncertainty and the problems it can cause as well as of the techniques that may be used to accommodate it. This book provides general overviews on uncertainty in remote sensing and GIS that illustrate the range of uncertainties that may occur, in addition to describing the means of measuring uncertainty and the impacts of uncertainty on analyses and interpretations made. Uncertainty in Remote Sensing and GIS provides readers with comprehensive coverage of this largely undocumented subject: * Relevant to a broad variety of disciplines including geography, environmental science, electrical engineering and statistics * Covers range of material from base overviews to specific applications * Focuses on issues connected with uncertainty at various points along typical data analysis chains used in remote sensing and GIS Written by an international team of researchers drawn from a variety of disciplines, Uncertainty in Remote Sensing and GIS provides focussed discussions on topics of considerable importance to a broad research and user community. The book is invaluable reading for researchers, advanced students and practitioners who want to understand the nature of uncertainty in remote sensing and GIS, its limitations and methods of accommodating it.

GEOGRAPHY - Volume II

Geography is a component of Encyclopedia of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. Geographical perceptions can be traced from very ancient cultures, although geography as a science started its development during the eighteen century, it was firmly established after the Darwinian revolution and many of its fundamentals appeared during the nineteenth century. The history of geography is closely connected with the history of human society Geography embraces both the physical and human worlds, and aims to bridge natural and human sciences. For a geographer, although the environment and its conservation is a crucial item, it is also fundamentally concerned with the living standards of humankind. Although its wide embrace may be seen as a weakness, diversification is also strength and an attraction. Approaches are multidisciplinary, exploring the complex linkages between the cultural and the natural. These favor cross-cultural communication and mutual understanding at a global scale. There is a geographical basis to most of the outstanding political problems, and geographical reasons to explain them. The subject matter of the geography theme is presented basically on how the subject matter is taught presently at the universities, and following the many paths its practitioners are following in doing research. It introduces modern subject matters and goes much further than a simple description of places and travels. The theme has been divided into four main topics: Foundations, Physical Geography, Human Geography, and Technical matters. The scope of the foundation topic is to present an overview of the basis of the geographical field, its scope, history, methods, and its importance in education. The chapters included are Main Stages of the Development, Theory and Methods, and Geographical Education. The Physical Geography topic includes the historical background of the geographical study of the Earth natural environment, and the main fields cultivated by geographers. It consists of eight chapters on basic research fields, which are Geomorphology, Climatology, Hydrology, Biogeography, Soil Geography, Coastal Systems, Ocean Geography, Mountain Geoecology, and two chapters on environmental issues: Natural Hazards and Land Degradation and Desertification. In the Human Geography topic six chapters discuss the more current fields, that is: Population, Cultural and Social, Agricultural and Rural, Industries and Transport, Economic Activities and Urban Geography. Three chapters present subjects developed more recently: Medical, Political and Tourism geographies. Finally, the Regional approach is presented as the most traditional and integrative field. These volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College students Educators, Professional practitioners, Research personnel and Policy analysts, managers, and decision makers and NGOs.